TE Nagging Injuries/Suspensions

Reed, Jordan - WAS

Jordan Reed has proven to be among the best tight ends in the NFL over the past two years, but injuries continue to be what make or break him each season. In 2015, Reed was healthy, and his production was off the charts with 87 catches for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns, which allowed him to finish as the No. 3 Fantasy tight end in standard leagues. He was limited to 12 games in 2016, and he still produced at a high level with 66 catches for 686 yards and six touchdowns. But he finished as just the No. 8 tight end in standard formats. Reed has yet to play 16 games in a season, but when he's healthy he's certainly a must-start option in all Fantasy leagues. And he could benefit this year with DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon gone, which could lead to more targets. We consider Reed a top 5 tight end coming into the season, and he's worth drafting no later than Round 6 in all formats. However, his toe injury kept him out most of camp. He has returned, but buyer beware.

Eifert, Tyler - CIN

Tyler Eifert has become one of the riskiest tight ends in Fantasy Football. When he's healthy, he's a candidate to score regardless of the opponent. When he's banged up, he's a pain to deal with. Eifert had back surgery just before New Year's Day and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. That's a lot better than last offseason when he couldn't practice because of his ankle. However, he has still missed 27 games over four seasons because of injury. And yet, he's scored 18 times in his last 21 games. Eifert is a high-risk, high-reward Fantasy tight end worth targeting toward the end of Round 6, though no one should expect him to remain on the field all season, so have a Plan B for when Eifert misses playing time.

Gronkowski, Rob - NE

Rob Gronkowski partied like he won Super Bowl 51, but he was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Patriots beat the Falcons because of a back injury that sent him to injured reserve in Week 11. It shows how good Gronkowski is that he appeared in eight games (only six of those with Tom Brady because of his suspension) and still finished as the No. 20 Fantasy tight end in standard leagues with 25 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns on 38 targets. Gronkowski hasn't played 16 games since 2011, but he has two seasons with 15 games over that span. You hope he plays at least 13 games because when he's healthy he's easily the best Fantasy tight end in any format. He expects to be ready for training camp, and if that happens then he's worth drafting toward the end of Round 2 or beginning of Round 3 in all leagues.

Seferian-Jenkins, Austin - JAC

Austin Seferian-Jenkins will open the season with a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. When he returns to action, he will try to prove he can be a quality Fantasy tight end in the majority of leagues, and he's gotten rave reviews this offseason. He's shown flashes of being a starting option before, but he's yet to play more than nine games in a season for Tampa Bay or the Jets over three seasons. The talent is there, and there's an opportunity for him to be a quality playmaker in this offense, even with the addition of rookie tight end Jordan Leggett. But Seferian-Jenkins has to prove himself first. Don't draft him in the majority of leagues, and he's only worth adding off waivers if he starts off the season playing well, especially after his suspension is over.

GRAHAM, JIMMY - GB

Jordy Nelson deserved to win the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award in 2016, but Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham could have easily taken home the award. Coming off a terrible knee injury in 2015, Graham rebounded for a solid season in 2016 with 65 catches for 923 yards and six touchdowns on 95 targets. He finished as the No. 2 Fantasy tight end in standard leagues, and his receiving yards were his best total since 2013. Graham had seven games with at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league, and we hope he's even closer to his old self this year. Graham should be considered a top-five Fantasy tight end in all leagues, and we recommend drafting him around Round 5 in most formats. It's a great thing that Graham is back to 100 percent, and he should continue to be one of the elite Fantasy tight ends this season.

Ebron, Eric - IND

For three years, Fantasy owners have waited and waited for Eric Ebron to break out and become a Fantasy sensation, and after last season... we're still waiting. Ebron set career-highs in catches and yards last year, even grabbing an impressive 71.8 percent of his targets, but he scored just one time. His lack of use in the red zone last year (six targets in 13 games) is a joke, and his overall lack of targets (6.5 per game) is frustrating. Even more frustrating is that he leads the Lions in dropped passes. Obviously Ebron would be a great Fantasy option if he had more opportunities in the Lions' passing game, but that hasn't really happened through three seasons. Until there's evidence of Ebron getting more opportunities near the goal line, he's not worth drafting as more than a speculative high No. 2 tight end. You must also consider that Ebron has missed significant time in camp after suffering from a hamstring injury and we are not sure if he's going to be 100% by week 1.